Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Bengbu Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Bengbu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $657 in Bengbu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,342 in Mexico City versus $1,050 in Bengbu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Mexico City versus $1,443 in Bengbu.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 126% more expensive than Bengbu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Bengbu is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.29 MX$231

$2.84 ¥19.40

367.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$933

$22.65 ¥155

137.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 MX$161

$4.85 ¥33.12

91.55%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$3.11 ¥21.26

16.08%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 MX$27.03

$0.45 ¥3.05

246.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.46

$0.24 ¥1.63

366.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 MX$54.3

$0.80 ¥5.47

291.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 MX$81.7

$2.15 ¥14.70

119.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.54

$2.06 ¥14.07

-17.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 MX$48.03

$1.01 ¥6.92

174.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.05

$0.67 ¥4.54

192.54%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.21

$1.49 ¥10.20

74.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 MX$173

$9.31 ¥63.6

6.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.10 MX$141

$2.84 ¥19.36

185.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.50 MX$200

$9.18 ¥62.7

25.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 MX$49.84

$1.36 ¥9.32

111.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.07

$1.01 ¥6.88

71.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.73

$1.36 ¥9.32

47.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$0.71 ¥4.85

187.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.14

$0.58 ¥3.93

258.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 MX$38.12

$0.58 ¥3.98

279.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.24

$0.71 ¥4.85

104.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$0.44 ¥2.99

143.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.2

$2.82 ¥19.26

51.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 MX$249

$6.03 ¥41.16

137.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.62

$0.71 ¥4.87

147.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 MX$64.2

$1.35 ¥9.21

174.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.12

$0.29 ¥1.99

20.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$333

$16.96 ¥116

13.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 MX$23.18

$1.49 ¥10.17

-10.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.83

$0.33 ¥2.22

-15.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.33 MX$92.6

$8.23 ¥56.2

-35.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.18 ¥8.05

13.56%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$19.1K MX$332.0K

$17.1K ¥117.0K

11.64%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.9K MX$414.5K

$14.2K ¥97.0K

68.11%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$39.86 MX$692

$34.29 ¥234

16.24%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$26.78 MX$465

$4.94 ¥33.73

442.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.36 MX$510

$8.48 ¥57.9

246.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$927

$42.48 ¥290

25.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.09 MX$453

$14.01 ¥95.7

86.22%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$111

$5.65 ¥38.59

13.27%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$440 MX$7,647

$411 ¥2,807

7.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K MX$186.6K

$18.2K ¥124.2K

-40.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 MX$1,000

$43.09 ¥294

33.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.02 MX$781

$32.50 ¥222

38.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,801

$67.2 ¥459

54.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,874

$82.1 ¥561

31.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 MX$17.6K

$282 ¥1,929

258.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$630 MX$10.9K

$184 ¥1,256

242.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,162 MX$37.5K

$593 ¥4,053

264.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 MX$21.2K

$360 ¥2,459

239.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,793 MX$65.8K

$3,185 ¥21.8K

19.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.5K

$1,807 ¥12.3K

29.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,075 MX$18.7K

$660 ¥4,508

62.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.87

193.02%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Mexico City: April 11, 2026

Last update for Bengbu: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,013 in Mexico City and $282 in Bengbu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 63% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54 in Mexico City vs $23 in Bengbu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $285 vs $160 per month, with Bengbu cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Mexico City vs Bengbu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bengbu is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 126% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Mexico City pays 63% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,013 in Mexico City versus $282 in Bengbu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $440 in Mexico City versus $411 in Bengbu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $657 in Bengbu versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bengbu but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Bengbu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bengbu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Bengbu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 126% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.